WHEN Southampton appointed Claude Puel as successor to Everton-bound Ronald Koeman last summer, comparisons were immediately drawn with Arsene Wenger.

Southampton boss Claude Puel hoping to maintain level of calm against Liverpool in the EFL Cup

Having played under and worked alongside Wenger at Monaco, it was easy to see why the softly-spoken Puel had been labelled the Arsenal manager's protege.

But it is unlikely the mild-mannered Puel would ever risk his reputation by engaging in the kind of gross misconduct his mentor is accused of indulging in during his rant at officialdom at the weekend.

"It is important to keep control every time. It is my job to keep calm," said Puel when asked ahead of tonight's EFL Cup semi-final second leg at Liverpool to recall the last time he allowed his anger to get the better of him.

Since his arrival in the Premier League, Puel's touchline behaviour has been as uneventful as many of Southampton's matches.

Even in the seconds after Nathan Redmond had given his side a crucial first-leg lead a fortnight ago, Puel maintained his demeanour as the coolest man inside the St Mary's Stadium.

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Nathan Redmond gave Saints a slender advantage in the first leg at St Mary's

Having briefly raised both arms, the diminutive Frenchman quickly regained control of his emotions - a far cry from predecessor Koeman's victory march down the touchline in the dramatic Premier League win over Liverpool the previous season.

Watching such scenes, it is hard to believe Puel once admitted to injuring Wenger deliberately in training as revenge for being dropped from his Monaco line-up.

Such a measured approach, even in the most electrifying of moments, is one of the reasons Puel has not yet endeared himself to the majority of Saints followers despite guiding the club into the last four of the League Cup for the first time in more than three decades.

Even if Southampton back up their first-leg heroics by securing a ticket to Wembley, where they have not won a meaningful fixture since the 1976 FA Cup final, the travelling hordes will not sing his name.

But do not mistake Puel's lack of dynamism in the technical area for a lack of desire to succeed where, with Wenger the notable exception, the majority of his countrymen have failed in making themselves a success across the Channel.

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Puel intentionally injured Arsene Wenger during training when he was at Monaco

Once described by former Monaco team-mate Glenn Hoddle as the hardest worker he had ever shared a training pitch with, Puel has taken that same ethos into his coaching career, methodically working on ways to nullify the attacking threats of opponents before every game.

While Wenger has built his Arsenal dynasty on a free-flowing style which revolutionised English football, Puel is a throwback to the days when coaches valued clean sheets over flair.

That Southampton have managed fewer league goals than all but three of their rivals is a reflection of that often dour approach, which left more than half of St Mary's empty for the recent FA Cup replay win over Norwich.

His defence-minded tactics and constant tinkering - Southampton have made close to 200 changes to their line-up in his 33 games in charge - has also left some of his players frustrated.

But there are others, such as rejuvenated full-back Cedric Soares and the much-improved Oriol Romeu, not to mention youngsters Sam McQueen and Josh Sims, who have both made breakthroughs this season, who speak glowingly about the 55-year-old's methods.

In McQueen's case, one of Puel's first acts after replacing Koeman was to convert the talented 21-year-old from a winger into a left-back.

Puel is more at home on the training ground than mixing with boardroom big-wigs and, by all accounts, contributes little to dining table conversations at club functions.

For someone who spent most of his career in the shadow of Monaco's millionaire play-ground there is little flashy about Puel, who prefers his garden to any casino. Even his suits look like they have come straight off the hanger at Debenhams.

While he has set up home in Southampton's trendy Ocean Village complex, you get the sense that is more for convenience than a constant yearning for Monaco marina.

If Southampton can succeed in denying Jurgen Klopp the chance to get his hands on his first trophy as Liverpool manager, that will be all the bling Puel requires. Just don't expect any Klopp-esque celebrations.